Free flights for American magicians? Find out how YOUR council tax is being wasted on air travel

Air travel is an unavoidable part of modern government. Ministers are required to attend international conferences and summits overseas, so it is clearly not unreasonable for Government officials to take the occasional flight at taxpayers’ expense (preferably not in First Class). This may even apply on occasion to Councillors and local authority bureaucrats.

The latest research from the TaxPayers' Alliance reveals, however, that the cost of air travel by local authorities in the North East of England alone was a staggering £470,000 over the last three years. Previous research by the TPA's grassroots activists elsewhere in the country uncovered another £400,000 spent on flights by councils in Hampshire and the Midlands. You can see some of the far-flung destinations that these regions have flown their council leaders to in this specially created interactive Google map:

The Town Hall jet-setters flew to Washington DC (clearly they had an important summit with President Obama), Shanghai (does President Hu Jintao look to the North East for inspiration?), not to forget New York, South Africa, Japan and numerous European countries.

South Tyneside Council doesn’t feature in the research the TaxPayers’ Alliance released. They were sent a Freedom of Information request in February, so a response was due in March, but no reply came, despite numerous reminders. Perhaps they were busy with international commitments overseas. A full response, however, magically found its way to the TPA after the research was being briefed to the media.

Magic is an apt word too, because South Tyneside Council made £2,600 of local taxpayers’ money disappear by paying for free flights for some American magicians to attend their International Magic Convention – flights from New Orleans and Los Angeles.

Some people still insist that every penny of taxpayers’ money is spent frugally. This shows that council tax is still being wasted.

And they were not the only ones. Sunderland City Council was by some margin the North East’s top spender on air travel. In total, officials there spent more than £210,000. This included £62,000 on flights to Washington DC as part of its ‘friendship agreement’ and more than £10,000 on two trips to South Africa for a ‘Commonwealth Local Government Forum Good Practice Scheme’.

Nearby Middlesbrough Council spent over £1,700 on flights to Germany for town twinning events and £7,500 on flights to various European cities, as well as New York and Miami for performing arts events. Meanwhile, Gateshead council spent £736 attending the EU ‘covenant of Mayors’ and £8,377 on a visit to Komatsu City for a ‘20th anniversary celebration’ of Gateshead’s links with the city.

Council taxpayers don’t leave their families and slog their guts out at work to pay for council bosses to go on jollies. With councils across the country pleading poverty, threatening valued frontline services and increasing Council Tax, it’s clear that there is still plenty of fat to cut in local authority budgets.

With modern communications, many long distance journeys are no longer necessary. Some local authorities have reduced their spending on flights, which is to be welcomed. Others, like Redcar and Cleveland, didn’t spend any money at all on air travel – they are worthy of high praise. But other councils need to follow suit. Council tax shouldn’t be wasted, because it’s our money.